Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 29
Occupation: Designer.
Instagram: @ben.kicic
Hometown: Sarajevo, former Yugoslavia.
Studio location: Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.
Describe what you make: I make mostly furniture and lighting.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Probably the Gradual Armchair. Chairs can be quite hard to get right. It ended up taking several years of iterating on the form through many full-scale prototypes that weren’t quite there before landing on where it is now. The benefit to the work was that it helped me set up a clear way of working through ideas for pieces that are accessible while also having a particular voice and character.
Describe the problem your work solves: I work to produce objects that are expressions of my values: to be subtle, to maintain a sense of humor, and to be meaningful.
Describe the project you’re working on now: I’m working with a friend and fellow designer on some indoor seating for a restaurant in Austin that’s exciting. Also prototyping some new designs for an upcoming collection of furniture and lighting.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I’m launching several pieces today: two chairs, a dining table, cabinet, and wall light. It’s all made to order with the ability for the pieces to be made in a variety of woods, finishes, and sizes. Though I’ve been around for a bit making work, I’m treating it as an inaugural collection because it’s fairly wide-reaching, customizable, and has a clear voice as a grouping.
Designed for sensibility rather than style, the collection celebrates the inherent beauty of raw materials by utilizing solid woods, hand-dyed leathers, and solid bronze—centered around the belief that luxury is a gesture toward simplicity and small details, livability, and practicality. Made to be lived in, these pieces draw out the natural tendencies of their materials in order to build patina and character. These qualities gradually strengthen an individual’s connection to their surroundings through time.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: I work best in an environment with other designers or friends working in the same space. I’m weirdly opposed to music playing while I work in the studio—usually I put on an audiobook, podcast, or NPR.
What you do when you’re not working: Since lockdown, like everyone else, I’ve spent a lot of time at home. I recently-ish started playing WoW (World of Warcraft). It’s a game I wanted when I was a kid but my parents didn’t want to pay the subscription fee or even understood its appeal. Currently, I’m a level 47 Monk.
Sources of creative envy (dead or alive): Roy McMakin. He’s a master of proportion, and great at escaping categorization. He’s an architect, artist, maker, and furniture designer, only with the goal of creating “meaningful objects.” Eyre de Lanux, along with Eileen Gray and Charlotte Perriand, were so aesthetically ahead of their time. Her pieces today still look unbelievable in their form and use of materials.
The distraction you want to eliminate: I’m fine with all my distractions.
Concrete or marble? I’d take either as long as they’re honed and not polished.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse. I’d rather not take an elevator every day.
Remember or forget? I feel like if you forget you’ll live longer and most peacefully.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Dark.
